KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has defended the management of the Palestinian Humanitarian Trust Fund (AAKRP), saying the government-run fund is subject to multiple layers of scrutiny and oversight to ensure aid reaches Palestinians in need.
Responding to questions over claims circulating on social media, Mohamad said the fund was established under the Foreign Ministry and was not comparable to privately managed charitable accounts.
“This is not just any account,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (June 23).
The minister said the fund is chaired by the ministry’s secretary-general, with senior officials including deputy secretaries-general and finance division representatives involved in its administration.
He added that the fund is audited by the Auditor-General, while requests to disburse assistance are carefully scrutinised before approval.
“Any application for assistance from this fund is managed properly,” he said.
Mohamad also stressed that the fund’s management and disbursements are regularly reported to the Cabinet.
“It is audited by the Auditor-General and reported periodically to the Cabinet,” he said.
Rejecting allegations that funds were being distributed indiscriminately to non-governmental organisations, Mohamad said assistance was channelled through established international agencies and trusted humanitarian partners operating in Palestine and neighbouring countries.
Among the organisations receiving support are the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Palestine Red Crescent Society and humanitarian organisations in Jordan, he said.
Mohamad said the government also works through Ops Ihsan, a humanitarian initiative involving 38 participating organisations, to help coordinate aid efforts for Palestinians.
“The important thing is to ensure the assistance truly reaches the Palestinian people,” he said.
He added that Malaysia continues to provide humanitarian assistance, particularly medical supplies and equipment, amid widespread destruction of hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
